When and how to dig potatoes. When it's time to dig potatoes: the optimal time for harvesting and harvesting for storage When to dig up potatoes for storage

Potato is one of the most common vegetables, without which it is difficult to imagine. country cottage area. The ripening period of potatoes depends on many factors. First of all, this is the tuber variety itself, as well as climatic conditions. If the first factor can be influenced, then the second one has to be simply put up with. If the summer turned out to be cold, then the harvest may be poor.

When planting potatoes, it is important to consider the region of residence. In different areas, the time from planting to harvesting the same variety may vary due to differences in climate.

• An early potato that matures approximately 50–61 days after the tubers are planted in the soil.
• The early ripe variety ripens on 66–85 days from the moment of planting in the ground.
• The mid-season variety will ripen 86–95 days after planting.
• Medium-late - from 96 to 115 days, after planting the tubers in the soil.
• The maturation period of late potatoes starts from 115 days.

The growing season may vary up or down. Again, it depends weather conditions, which stood out in the season. It's impossible to influence it.

What determines the rate of maturation of tubers?

But, even choosing a variety according to the ripening period of tubers, after planting, one cannot be sure that the crop can be obtained exactly by a specific date. Vegetation is affected a large number of factors.

Factors that affect the growth rate:

• In what region is the cultivation of vegetables.
• Planted potatoes will grow earlier if tubers are planted in early May.
• Weather.
• The introduction of a large amount of mineral and organic fertilizers.
• The growing season of potatoes is reduced if planted in nutrient-poor soil. On the fertile soil growth does not accelerate, and you can harvest until late autumn.
• The lack of moisture also affects how quickly the tubers grow. If the summer turned out to be dry and there was little rain, then the potato harvesting period is reduced.

If the growing season has been reduced for the last two reasons, then such potatoes will not be as tasty, and will also be poorly stored. Therefore, if possible, it is advisable to regularly water the potatoes (if there is no rain in summer) and before planting potatoes in open ground, apply mineral and organic fertilizers to the ground. When the tubers ripen on time, they turn out tasty and can be stored for more than one month.

How to speed up the ripening of potatoes?

You can try to speed up the ripening of potatoes after the flowering period so that young potatoes do not have to be dug up in late autumn. This will help those summer residents who are delayed with disembarkation planting material. You can also try to increase the growth of potatoes in the event that it turned out to be a cold and rainy summer.

What to do if the bushes have grown strongly and it is impossible to delay harvesting?

• The easiest way is to cut green tops when the planting material has recently begun to sprout, and the bushes have not yet begun to bloom.
• In order for the potatoes to ripen earlier, it is possible to spray the bushes with a solution of copper sulfate 14 days before harvesting. The tool draws moisture from the leaves and the maturity of the tubers comes faster. The tops of the same month begin to become covered with brown spots, curl and dry.
• To speed up the ripening of potatoes, if it turned out to be a long and cold summer, you can use magnesium chlorate. For 1 liter of water, you need to take 25 g, dilute chlorate in water and spray the bushes with it. The stages of potato ripening will then be reduced, and after a while it will be possible to dig it out. If the weather is dry, then the potatoes ripen after spraying already on the 6th day.
• In order for the potatoes to ripen earlier than expected, they can be treated with superphosphate. Spray potatoes after flowering. For 1 liter of warm water 25 g of superphosphate. The time for the procedure is better to choose the evening.
• Tubers ripen faster if they are germinated before planting in the soil. This is easy to do and takes a little time to germinate. Potatoes are germinated in a well-ventilated area. Straw or hay can be laid out on the floor. During the day the temperature should be no more than +15. At night, for full germination, it must be lowered to +7. Potatoes should germinate in 2-4 weeks. After the first roots began to grow on the tubers, they are watered with a solution of sodium chloride, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate (15:15:55 per 10 liters of water). After two days, the tubers need to be watered. This will help speed up the growth when the potatoes are planted in the soil.
• Drying is another way to accelerated growth. The potatoes need to be laid out in one layer (it is not necessary to lay them out so that the sun hits the tubers). After a week and a half, eyes should appear on it. Then you can start landing. Plant dried potatoes in the usual way.

After these procedures, the stages of potato growth will be reduced and then you can safely dig up young potatoes without fear of damaging them in the ground. This issue is especially relevant for those summer residents whose plot is located in a lowland, where water accumulates or when the ground contains a lot of peat and potatoes grow slowly.

When to dig potatoes?

As mentioned earlier, potatoes ripen in different ways. By what signs can you determine that it's time to dig up the crop?

The main signs of ripening potatoes:

• The main sign by which it can be determined that the potato has ripened is dried tops. At early ripe varieties it could start at the end of July. After all the tops of the grown potatoes have dried up, you can start harvesting.
• Second important point The thing to pay attention to is the weather. It is better to dig potatoes in dry and sunny weather. As a rule, potatoes ripen by the end of August. Therefore, it is better not to delay until autumn and do it before the rains. If the shade of the vegetative organs of plants (leaves, stems) is green, then you should think about artificially accelerating ripening.
• Also, ripening depends on sowing. If the potato was planted at the end of May, then it will not be necessary to dig it out until September. This can be determined by the phases of development of the bushes. If the haulm is still green in August, it should take several weeks before it dries up.

You can dig up a potato crop at a temperature not lower than +17 degrees. Then during storage the potatoes will not turn black and not deteriorate. The most unfavorable time is the morning hours, when frosts have already come. If you dig up potatoes at such a time, they will quickly wither and it will not be possible to eat them.

After harvesting, it is necessary to collect all the tops and weeds. If this is not done, then on the next goal the area may be overgrown weed grass and then it will take a long time to get her out of the garden.

When digging potatoes, you can immediately select the best and largest tubers for further planting. They need to be left for several days in the sun so that solanine begins to accumulate in the potatoes. The peel should take on a greenish tint. Such tubers will be stored longer and rodents will not spoil them. And next year you can grow a good harvest from them.

If space permits, then before you put the potatoes in the basement, you need to hold them for some time in the sun. In this way, you can kill all pathogens, as well as increase keeping quality.

Dried potatoes should be scattered in bags, after throwing out spoiled and gnawed tubers. Store potatoes preferably away from direct sun rays so that it doesn't grow. The room should be well ventilated, the humidity in the cellar should be high. Observing all the rules of planting and storage, you can eat potatoes all year round.

The potato harvest depends on the variety, weather,; but it also depends on how correctly the tubers are harvested. Properly and on time dug out potatoes will be well stored.

When to dig?

Experts of the Institute of Potato Growing claim that the ripening time of even the same potato variety in the same region can be different and vary depending on:

• The temperature at which the seed was stored.
• Ways to prepare tubers for planting.
• weather.

In most cases, the ripening time is determined by the onset of wilting (physiological death) of the tops. It may be already in early August, or maybe in early September.

There is an unmistakable way to determine when you can start digging up early potatoes (but not for storage, but for food) - the first strawberries have ripened, which means that in a week you can take a shovel and go to the potato beds.

Hope1303 FORUMHOUSE user

Early potatoes are not even all blooming! But once the first strawberries (lighthouse!), ripened, then in a week you can safely the first flowering bushes dig. 12.06. there were new potatoes for dinner.

Some potato growers believe that since the potato is a root crop, and not a fruit, then talking about the ripening period is meaningless; has grown to a normal size, and you can dig. But if you dig up potatoes ahead of time, it will not store well. A potato is ready for harvest when it stops growing (as indicated by dying leaves), when nutrients are stored in the tubers rather than the stems, and when the skin is thick and strong enough to last.

In normal weather (average daily temperatures in the range of 15-22 degrees and at least 300 mm of precipitation are considered optimal for potatoes, and mainly during the period of tuber formation), according to the Institute of Potato Growing, the crop is ready for harvest in the following terms:

• Early varieties - 60-70 days after planting.
• Medium early - after 70-80 days.
• Mid-season - after 80-100 days.
• Medium-late and late - in 100-120 days.

If the summer turned out to be “bad”, for example, the heat was +25 - +30 degrees all the way, and there was no rain, then the tubers practically do not grow, do not increase in size, therefore, if the tops are still green, it makes sense to wait with harvesting, especially if the long-awaited rains came.

Decide on cleaning times early varieties potato will help its flowering. Flowering is the highest point in the plant development cycle. After it, we count three weeks, and you can start digging.

In order not to be mistaken, you can dig a couple of bushes, see what condition the tubers are in, how many of them have separated from the bush, and only then proceed to harvesting the entire crop.

Should I mow the tops?

The issue is being actively discussed in the community of amateur potato growers. There is no single answer to it. Most agree that without the need (if the plant is not infected with late blight, and if the tops have dried up by the time the potatoes are dug up) it is better not to mow. But if it’s September, the summer was rainy, and on the field, like grenadiers, there are potato bushes almost the size of a human being, it’s a must to mow.

Usually they mow a week before harvesting, it is not necessary before - stumps can begin to grow, and the tubers will die. There have been cases when, due to early mowing, people have lost a significant part of the crop.

Vladimir2804 FORUMHOUSE user

It is cut off if the tops are still strong, and dig out soon. Or, as a neighbor explained to me, they cut it in the south, where the tops are waist-high and higher, it’s just not convenient to dig up potatoes in her presence. And, of course, if the disease.

Green or not green?

Greened potatoes are more suitable for planting than ungreened ones. Seeds turn green either in autumn or in spring, a few days before planting. What is more correct? As we can see, there is no place for dogmas in potato growing; here, again, everyone decides for himself. In general, it is best to green in the fall to protect the seeds from mice, other pests, and certain diseases.

NataDobrik FORUMHOUSE user

We green like this: we dug it out, and until frost it lies on the terrace closer to the window, then we put it in the cellar. During the winter, there are bites, but apparently small mice try, but they don’t eat, it’s not tasty.

Vodopad FORUMHOUSE user

Green is desirable in any case. Better in autumn, for several days, until not only the skin, but the entire tuber in depth becomes green.

There are still such benefits from greening: while the potatoes are in the sun, unusable tubers are identified even before they are sent to storage.

Hope1303

Immediately after selection, seed potatoes with the best bushes in boxes stands in partial shade (and in the rain) for at least a month. Rot is immediately revealed. This method showed a clearly positive result for me compared to spring gardening.

In the spring, such potatoes are taken out of storage in advance, and then one more plus of autumn greenery is visible - the tubers give shorter and thicker shoots that do not break off during planting. They grow together, the shoots are even, and the crop ripens at the same time.

The only minus of autumn greening is that potatoes after this procedure are only suitable for planting, they cannot be eaten.

Sandra71 FORUMHOUSE user

We thought: if we suddenly decide to reduce the area for potatoes, then the seed can be eaten, and the green one will have to be thrown away. Therefore, since autumn we have not been green.

For a novice gardener, it is important to know the answer to the question - when is it better to dig potatoes? The keeping quality of tubers in winter and losses during harvesting depend on this. The timing of the start of harvesting is influenced by the ripening time of the variety and the observance of agricultural technology when growing root crops. Before starting work, you need to familiarize yourself with the weather forecast, it is better to dig potatoes before rain for 4-5 hours, so that it can dry out before storage.

Define the best time when you need to dig potatoes, knowing a few secrets and recommendations from experienced gardeners will help.

Signs of ripening potatoes

According to most lovers of the "second bread", the drying and complete death of the tops of the bushes indicates the ripening of root crops. This occurs when the growth and development of terrestrial and underground parts plants.

Root crops stop developing, if they are not dug up in time, they begin to germinate and deteriorate. On the surface of the tubers during this period, a strong peel is formed, the tubers accumulate nutritious useful elements.

The connections of potatoes with the root system are weakened, and the bush breaks up into separate root crops. This is the period of ripening of root crops and the optimal time for harvesting. Losses are minimized, and the harvested crop will be well preserved throughout the winter period.

name the exact date the beginning of digging potatoes will help knowledge of the variety and level of precocity of vegetables. But you should also take into account the time of planting, weather conditions during the growing season of the bushes, the level of plant care.

In the south of the country, harvesting starts already at the end of July, in middle lane they dig only in late August - early September. In the summer, after the bushes have faded, you can undermine or completely dig them out for cooking dishes from young potatoes. For winter storage root crops should ripen, covered with a strong peel. Unripe or overripe potatoes are not suitable for long-term storage.

Starting the harvest when the tops of the bushes turn yellow is the wrong decision, which can lead to poor preservation of the tubers. Bushes affected by pests or the Colorado potato beetle begin to dry out before the ripening period. It is better to additionally use knowledge of the ripening dates of the variety. The approximate harvesting time is 70-100 days after planting the prepared, germinated seeds in the soil.

Weather forecast and harvest

In dry periods with high temperatures, in the absence of irrigation, the crop will need to be harvested earlier, but the truth will be less in terms of the volume of planted potatoes. Excess moisture in a rainy summer with cool air increases the time the potatoes are ready for harvest.

From excessive moisture, the roots begin to rot, and the tops will remain green.

But if the soil on the site is well fertilized and drained, there is no particular effect on the ripening time of root crops. And let the ripening time increase in the soil with a balanced diet, but the size of the crop can please any gardener. With an excess of moisture, it is not recommended to use a nitrogen type of fertilizer - this will cause the formation of root rot on root crops.

Potato harvesting is carried out on a sunny or cloudy day. It is not recommended to dig potatoes immediately after heavy rains - the root crops cannot be dried and they will begin to rot during storage. Root crops are left in the garden for drying and airing, then they are cleaned in dark place, having previously laid the crop in bags. After 10-14 days, the peel will become dense, and if the plant has been affected by diseases or pests, the consequences of their activity will be easily detected.

Important! Having dug up and removed the potatoes in the cellar, be sure to remove all weeds and tops of the bushes from the site.

Such work will save future plantings of vegetables from pests and diseases. Insects and pathogenic myceliums will definitely settle in abandoned plant waste for the winter.

How does the variety affect the ripening period

Varieties and various hybrids are subdivided according to maturation time. The vegetative period of plant development, the time of harvesting potatoes and laying them for storage depend on this value:

1. Superearly varieties of root crops. These plants will be ready for harvest already 35-36 days after planting varietal or hybrid tubers. Among such plants, the varieties Bellarosa, Riviera, Minerva are distinguished.
2. Early ripening of root crops. Harvesting begins 40-50 days after planting. Zoned species are popular: Vineta, Arrow, Colette, Dnepryanka.
3. Plants with medium early maturity. Harvest is dug after 55-80 days. It is recommended to plant the seeds of Mriya, Sineglazka, Nevsky, Zabava.
4. Mid-season potatoes - these plants are ready to be dug up already on the 95th day. High yield in varieties Picasso, Sante.
5. Late - these potatoes ripen by the 120th day. These varieties include: Zhuravinka, Asterix, Lorch.

Important! When choosing varieties of planting material, the timing of planting and harvesting root crops should be taken into account.

If late varieties plant in a region with sudden spring frosts on the soil, you will have to dig potatoes from under the snow. This species is suitable for planting in the southern regions, early boarding will allow you to grow a crop of large potatoes and lay them in storage in the fall, and not in the summer heat.

Tuber harvesting methods

In household plots and small gardens, potatoes are dug up using cultivators or using a proven shovel and strong hands. Digging potatoes in large fields is done with a tractor and a potato harvester. A small bed is not a place to use a walk-behind tractor or agricultural machinery. Let's analyze step by step process harvesting potatoes in the garden in simple ways.

Rules for the operation of a walk-behind tractor

When using walk-behind tractors, it is recommended to plant potatoes at a certain distance using a plow, and then it will be easier to dig up potatoes and other root crops without damaging the crop. Row spacing should be slightly larger than the cultivator attachment grip.

Having driven into a row, a plow or makeshift fixture for harvesting root crops, they are deepened to a distance of 200-250 mm and run along the entire length of the beds on medium gas. Potatoes are thrown out of the ground to the top of the curb, but with slow passage, some tubers will dig into the ground. After passing through the entire site, it remains to choose root crops from the ground, dry them in the sun and under the wind and put them in a storage place.

For greater clarity, it is useful for inexperienced gardeners to watch videos on the Internet. To protect neighboring rows, it is recommended to dig potatoes through one row, so the possibility of cutting tubers is excluded. Cleaning good harvest tubers will not take much time, you will have to look for potatoes in the ground more than work with a walk-behind tractor.

Digging by hand

Digging potatoes by hand with a pitchfork or a shovel is not an easy task, especially for an inexperienced person. Much in this process depends on physical strength and experience. For an adult male, it is not difficult to dig up several acres of root crops during the day. The absence of weeds on the site and 3-time hilling of the rows will facilitate the work.

It is better to dig, having settled down along a long row. Gradually advancing, the forks are driven into the soil to the full length and turn over a clod of earth with potatoes. It is recommended that if the tops remain, hold it with one hand and gently pull it out of the ground when turning the soil. So it is possible to shake off half of the crop directly into the bucket or into piles along the rows.

The shovel is driven into the soil opposite the bush and at a distance from the stems - this way it is possible to avoid cuts on the potatoes.

In this way, all the ridges with potatoes are dug up, after several hours the potatoes are placed in bags and transported to the cellar. The operation is simple, but time-consuming, so gardeners come to the aid of garden motor vehicles with a set of tools.
Why do you need to dig up potatoes on time?

For a novice gardener, the presence of potato beds in almost every neighboring plot gives rise to the illusion that growing a crop is a task subject to any beginner. However, this delusion persists until the time comes when you need to dig potatoes and, in fact, sum up all the efforts expended.

The experience of experienced owners of household plots shows that even compliance with all the rules of agricultural technology in the process of growing potatoes does not exclude crop loss only due to non-compliance with the timing of harvesting and improper preparation to this final stage of all manipulations.

Factors affecting the ripening of potatoes

The manuals on agricultural technology indicate averaged data on the timing of digging potatoes, corresponding to the climatic features of central Russia - this is approximately from August 17–20 to September 10–15. However, it is necessary to adhere to these terms with an eye to a sufficiently large number of additional factors that can significantly move the period of potato readiness for digging in one direction or another.

Potato ripening time depends on the following conditions:

• features of the development of a particular variety of potatoes - you need to find out the details of the planting dates and the period when you need to dig potatoes from the seller of seed material;
• the time when the seed material was planted in the ground - the earlier the seed potatoes were lowered into the holes, the earlier they should be dug;
• the degree of care, the presence or absence of fertilizing - the application of fertilizers in excess of the norm entails a violent increase in the green mass of tops to the detriment of the crop, but the complete absence of fertilizing will affect the crop negatively, because then there will be almost nothing to dig;
• the qualitative composition of the soil under the potato - the poorer the land, the faster the tubers will be ready for digging, but the poorer the crop will be;
• the amount of moisture maintained in the soil - in overdried land, the tubers will ripen a week and a half ahead of schedule, but will be small and rare.

It is important to remember that even the simultaneous planting of several varieties of potatoes that are similar in terms of ripening does not mean that the harvest will take place at the same time.

Signs of ripening potatoes

There is nothing wrong with digging up a few kilograms of potatoes for dinner a few days before they reach full maturity - there are lovers of just such a very young and slightly unripe root crop. Another thing is to dig potatoes for promising storage. Here it is important to define specifically “that day”, which by all indications will indicate the optimal maturity of the culture.

Signs of potato ripening apply to all varieties of crops:

• Appearance of green mass (tops) of potatoes. You can look closely at the state of the deciduous part of the bush starting from 65 days from the emergence of shoots - during this period, the tops show the first signs of wilting. On the 85-95th day, when the tops turn yellow, the collection can already be planned.
• Type of potatoes. To assess this factor, you need to dig up 2-3 potato bushes at different ends of the beds and remove a couple of root crops from each plant. It is easy to determine the condition of the tuber - you need to rub the potato with an effort with your finger and if the peel does not reach for your finger, then it's time to dig the culture.
• Characterization of the soil surface around the bushes. Since the ripe potatoes will burst the soil around the root system, the ground under the bush will be cracked and raised by a mound.

To understand whether it is already possible to dig potatoes, you should resort to other tricks. It is necessary to drop a little alcohol solution of iodine on the cut of the tuber - it should turn pale purple. Another sure sign of the readiness of the crop for harvesting is to dig out one bush and, holding it by the tops with one hand, tear off the harvest of the lowest tubers from the root system with the other. In potatoes that have reached maturity, they will be removed without effort.

Weather forecast and harvest

Potatoes ripen most quickly during a period of strong summer heat, and if we add to the factor of prolonged heat and occasional watering, the harvest time is generally shifted to the first decade of August. When the weather forecasts indicate the approach of prolonged rains, it is better to accelerate the ripening of potatoes by any of the available ways and have time to dig up the root crops before the streams of water fall on the ground.

by the most favorable conditions in order to dig potatoes, they come when the air temperature is not lower than 13 and not higher than 18 C, and at the same time the weather is sunny. Thus, harvesting potatoes smoothly turns into timely drying of tubers.

How does the variety affect the ripening period?

It is very important to choose the right potato variety for planting, focusing not so much on the promised yield, but on the degree of adaptation of the variety to the specific climatic and weather conditions of the region. It is known to divide all varieties of culture into 5 categories:

• An early ripe species that allows you to harvest as early as 60 days from the date of planting.
• Mid-early species, ripening at about 70 days.
• A mid-season species that allows you to dig potatoes 90 days from planting.
• Medium-late species, ripening for 100 days.
• Late-ripening species, preparing for collection after 100 days from planting.

It is clear that in central Russia, it is unreasonable to select varieties belonging to the last two categories of ripening - they are more suitable for the southern region. Also to our compatriots moderate climate zone, it is irrational to opt for super-early varieties of potatoes - the tubers simply do not have time to gain enough solar heat and will be poor in vitamin composition.

Tuber harvesting methods

The easiest way to collect potatoes is to apply special equipment- walk-behind tractor, however, not everyone can afford such equipment, and it is applicable mainly to large areas, and not several beds within personal plot. In ordinary dachas, tubers are harvested manually, using a pitchfork or a bayonet shovel.

Using any mechanical method, you should come to terms with a certain percentage of "marriage" - damaged potatoes, of which the most intact ones should be immediately processed, and the heavily cut ones should be thrown into the compost pit for rotting. The least waste is obtained when potatoes are harvested on light soils. Wherein root system it is completely removed from the ground with one push on a fork or a shovel and does not require repeated immersion of a sharp tool into the ground.

Rules for the operation of a walk-behind tractor

If the entire garden devoted to cultivation occupies 1-3 acres, buy a unit with a capacity of more than 3 liters. s., irrational. Digging potatoes with such a device is not difficult - you need to immerse the pointed element of the mechanism into the ground and move after the device, holding it on the bed line.

It should be in advance, even before planting potatoes, to decide on the method of harvesting a good harvest, since for manual digging of tubers the distance between the rows of bushes does not matter, but for the movement of a walk-behind tractor, it should be at least one and a half body of the apparatus. In any case, the distance between the rows should not be less than 45 cm, and the depth of the lower tubers is allowed by 20-25 cm.

Digging potatoes using a medium-power walk-behind tractor takes several times less time spent exclusively on manual labor. When working on the site together (the second person follows the mechanism and picks potatoes from the ground), it takes, on average, 10 minutes per one hundred square meters of the garden.

Digging by hand

It is best to dig potatoes by hand with a pitchfork, but if the soils are not too viscous and heavy, a bayonet shovel will also do a good job, however, it is strongly not recommended to break the clods of earth in which the root crops hide. The digging technique is extremely simple:

• at a distance of 15–20 cm from the bush, the tool is immersed in the soil at an angle of 30, followed by pressure on the concessions of a shovel or pitchfork and a slight lifting of the clod above the soil level;
• after that, the bush should be firmly grasped by the tops and pulled up until it is completely removed from the ground;
• if the tops are too dry and break easily or the earth is too tight and does not let go of the rhizome dotted with tubers, you need to carefully dig up the bush on the other side and turn out the clod of earth along with the root crops.

In good dry weather, it is necessary to immediately sort the potatoes into tubers suitable for food and seed - too small to be used for food. To do this, you need to spread two squares of polyethylene near the beds and dump large root crops on one of them, and small ones on the other. Potatoes cut or damaged by insects are removed in a separate bucket.

Why do you need to dig up potatoes on time?

There are plenty of reasons to stick to planting and harvesting dates, and it's not just about the great taste of well-ripened potatoes. Continuing to grow plants after the onset rainy season in order to “bring” the tubers to a larger size, the gardener risks losing the entire crop, because at temperatures above 10 C and incessant rains, fading, it was, the tops of the potato bush turn green again, and the roots begin to germinate.

Another danger of overexposure of potatoes in the soil lies in early autumn frosts. One or two frosty nights, which covered the ground with hoarfrost, reduce the possibility of crop preservation in winter by 70%. Such tubers, after being removed from the soil, quickly begin to rot, and when cooked, they give an unpleasant sweetish aftertaste.

The postponement of harvesting dates for a period earlier than it should be according to the potato variety does not entail anything good either.

Unripe tubers have an inferior taste, a watery pulp structure. The content of vitamins and microelements in them is much lower than in a mature culture, which significantly reduces nutritional value product. In addition, in unripe root crops, the peel is too thin and easily damaged, so potatoes dug out without taking into account the signs of maturity cannot be stored and are only suitable for consumption in the first week or two after digging.

Everyone knows that the main potato crop should be harvested closer to the beginning of autumn. The exact timing of cleaning is not even known in advance experienced gardeners and agricultural scientists. This is because many factors influence the start of work. These are the climatic conditions of the region, the timing of planting and varieties of potatoes, the weather during the ripening of tubers and harvesting, and more. Therefore, to determine whether the potato is ready for harvest, you can only carefully examine it. Based on the experience of the farmers of our zone, it turned out to identify several main signs that will help you understand that it is time to start harvesting potatoes.

• Above ground condition

It used to be considered that dried tops were the main and main sign of the final ripening of tubers. And from that moment gardeners began work on harvesting. But this is not always correct. Yellowing and drying of the stems can also happen for other reasons: a summer excess of moisture, as a result of which the bushes grow tall and powerful, and in the fall the plants simply do not have enough strength to feed such “luxurious” tops, and the root crops at this time still continue to ripen. A similar yellowing of the tops also happens from a high nitrogen content in the soil.

And yet this sign cannot be considered the main one due to the fact that during spring planting potatoes, gardeners most often do not select it by variety and everything is mixed for sowing. Because of this, plantings do not ripen at the same time, and it is pointless to focus on the first dried bushes.

Modern agronomists advise not to wait for the tops to dry completely, it is enough for them to wither by 70 - 80%. The point is that the rest nutrients in this above-ground part of the potato, they can no longer compensate for the loss of moisture from its surface evaporation. And it negatively affects the condition of the tubers, especially if the weather is hot and dry. Surely gardeners have had to deal with the problem more than once when dug out tubers turn out to be soft and dull. And all because part of the moisture he put in has evaporated by already unnecessary leaves and stems, which are better to simply mow before starting work.

Mowing the tops, and at the same time the raised weeds, greatly facilitates digging: the rows become clearer and the tubers are less damaged during digging, plant remains do not interfere with choosing potatoes, and it becomes more convenient to walk around the site. When trimming the tops, try to leave 8-10 cm of stem and wait a day or two before taking up the shovel. These "stumps" will help to better determine the position of the bush, and the substances remaining in them will finally feed the tubers.

Of course, if you have small plot, and you plan to dig potatoes with a shovel or pitchfork, pre-cutting is optional. But when the potato occupies several acres and the root crops are dug out with the involvement of a walk-behind tractor, then harvesting the tops becomes a necessity. After it, the rows are more visible, and it is more convenient for the equipment to move around, and there is no additional load on the mechanisms.

In addition, by cutting the above-ground part of the plant, you reduce the risk of tuber infection. The tops with all available viruses, infections and fungi are removed and burned.

Important! Under no circumstances should stems and foliage be left on the field, and do not pile them into compost pits, especially if you plant potatoes in the same area for several years in a row. This can lead to contamination of the soil, and subsequently to the spread of potato diseases.

In case you're not too convinced appearance tops and you are still not sure about the correctness of determining the timing of ripening potatoes, then the following sign of ripening will help you to discard the remaining doubts.

• Condition of potato tubers

To find out the degree of maturity of the root, you need to dig one of the bushes. Pay attention to the size of the tubers and their number. Of course, the yield mainly depends on the variety, weather conditions and quality of care, but still on the time of growth. Usually, the average time for harvesting potatoes is from 70 to 100 days from the date of planting. And if for the first time you enjoyed young potatoes in early July, then the main crop should be harvested no earlier than the end of August. It is by this time that all tubers that have begun grow to maximum size and gain weight.

Advice! When you are going to try a young potato, you doubt which bush to dig up first? Take a closer look at the ridges and notice the top of which the earth has cracked - there the first ripe tubers are waiting for you. The secret is simple: growing up, potatoes push the soil wrapped around them from the inside, which leads to cracks on its surface.

How to properly store potatoes?

When planning to start work, you need to consider where you will dry the dug out potatoes. There may be two options: leave it on the field, pouring it into one place, or harvest it under a canopy. The first is suitable for sandy soils, where the potatoes are almost dry and clean and they need only light weathering. At the same time, one should not forget about the weather: the tubers should not get caught in the rain, but a long stay in the sun is harmful for them (they can turn green, and these are no longer suitable for food). The second option is more common among gardeners, the main thing is to have enough space for the tubers to lie as thinly as possible. Sheds, sheds and even garages are used to dry potatoes. Usually, in order for the adhering dirt to fall off and the peel to dry out, one or two days are enough, depending on the degree of contamination of the tubers. After that, I sort the potatoes, selecting large, medium and small tubers, not forgetting to discard the damaged and rotten ones. I use large and medium-sized potatoes for food, and small ones for livestock feed.

Advice! The largest tubers must be used first, since by the middle of winter voids form in them, which negatively affect their taste qualities and "sleekness".

For sowing next year, healthy tubers no larger than chicken egg. As a rule, seed potatoes are stored separately, poured into bags or boxes, and the rest is laid in the basement bins.

Growing a crop is only half the battle. It is important to collect it on time and store it properly. Our tips will definitely help you cope with these tasks and provide your family with “second bread” until the next season.